MATERA, Italy: G20 foreign ministers called on Tuesday for multilateral cures for global crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and climate emergency at their first face-to-face meeting in two years.
The one-day gathering in the heat-soaked southern city of Matera focused on how to improve cooperation, revive the world’s economy following the pandemic and boost development in Africa.
“The pandemic has highlighted the need for an international response to emergencies that transcend national boundaries,” Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio told the ministers from the Group of 20 major economies.
The G20 members account for more than 80 percent of world gross domestic product, 75 percent of global trade and 60 percent of the population of the planet. Those in Matera included the top diplomats of the United States, Japan, Britain, France, Germany and India.
However, the foreign ministers of China, Brazil and Australia opted to follow the discussions by video link, while Russia and South Korea sent deputy ministers.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he regretted the absence of direct counterparts from Beijing and Moscow. “When you get together, you also have to talk to each other. We need dialogue with Russia and China,” he said during a break.
Heading into the meeting, Maas said he would raise his unhappiness at the way he thought China and Russia had offered COVID vaccines to boost their standing with certain countries.
“(This) is not about achieving short-term geostrategic advantages,” he said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated the need to deliver many more vaccines to poorer countries, which have so far received far fewer doses than wealthy nations.
“To bring the pandemic to an end, we must get more vaccines to more places,” he said, adding that the G20 would help low-income countries address “significant debt vulnerabilities’ that had been exacerbated by the coronavirus.
Blinken was due to fly back to Washington later on Tuesday, ending a tour of Germany, France and Italy, during which he has underlined the desire of President Joe Biden’s administration to embrace international cooperation, in contrast to previous President Donald Trump, who touted an “America First” message.
“We need to cooperate, and we need to do it effectively. Multilateralism is what makes that possible,” Blinken said in his remarks to the conference, surrounded by perspex sheeting to prevent any possible infection from fellow delegates.
Italy, which is home to the UN food and agriculture agencies, invited development ministers to attend the meeting and pushed global food security to the forefront.
Given the broad range of countries in the G20, getting agreement can be difficult, but analysts said the fact the ministers had resumed in-person meetings and were rallying to the cry for greater cooperation was important.
“It is difficult to expect concrete results from Matera,” said Antonio Villafranca, director of studies at the Milan-based Institute of International Policy Studies.
“But reaffirming multilateral commitment and understanding on those issues that states could converge on, in a climate of growing international tensions, would already be a result that should not to be underestimated.”
Stung by pandemic, G20 foreign ministers urge greater cooperation
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Stung by pandemic, G20 foreign ministers urge greater cooperation
- The one-day gathering focused on how to improve cooperation and revive the world’s economy
- Blinken reiterated the need to deliver many more vaccines to poorer countries, which have so far received far fewer doses than wealthy nations
Prince William expresses sadness at death of his former nanny’s stepson in New Orleans attack
- Edward Pettifer was the stepson of Tiggy Legge-Bourke, who was the nanny for both William and his brother, Prince Harry
- King Charles III is said to be deeply saddened by the news
LONDON: Prince William expressed his shock and sadness Saturday at the news of the death of his former nanny’s stepson in the New Year’s truck attack in New Orleans that killed 14 people.
London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed Saturday that they are supporting the family of 31-year-old Edward Pettifer, including helping them through the process of returning his body to the UK. Pettifer, who is from west London, is the final victim to be identified.
In a statement on social media, the Prince of Wales said he and his wife, Catherine, were “shocked and saddened by the tragic death of Ed Pettifer. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Pettifer family and all those innocent people who have been tragically impacted by this horrific attack.”
Pettifer was the stepson of Tiggy Legge-Bourke, who was the nanny for both William and his brother, Prince Harry, between 1993 and 1999, which included time after the death of their mother Princess Diana in 1997. Legge-Bourke, who is also known as Alexandra Pettifer, was regularly photographed with Diana.
British media also reported that King Charles III is said to be deeply saddened by the news and that he has sent his condolences to Pettifer’s family.
In a statement, Pettifer’s family said they were “devastated at the tragic news of Ed‘s death” and described him as “a wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew and a friend to so many.”
“We will all miss him terribly. Our thoughts are with the other families who have lost their family members due to this terrible attack,” the family added.
The UK’s Foreign Office also said it was supporting Pettifer’s family and was in contact with US authorities.
Authorities say 14 people were killed and about 30 were injured in the attack early Wednesday by Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a former Army soldier who posted several videos on his Facebook hours before the attack previewing the violence he would unleash and proclaiming his support for the Islamic State militant group. The coroner’s office listed the cause of death for all 14 victims as “blunt force injuries.”
Jabbar, 42, was fatally shot in a firefight with police at the scene of the deadly crash on Bourbon Street, famous worldwide for its festive vibes in New Orleans’ historic French Quarter.
Malaysia expels two boats ferrying about 300 Myanmar migrants
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia said Saturday it expelled two boats ferrying about 300 undocumented migrants from Myanmar from the country’s waters.
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said the boats were located two nautical miles (3.7 kilometers) southwest of the northern resort of Langkawi late Friday evening.
“MMEA provided assistance, including food and clean drinking water, before expelling the boats out to the national maritime border to continue their journey,” Director-General Mohd Rosli Abdullah said in a statement.
“We are also working closely with Thai authorities to obtain additional information on the movements of these boats.”
On Friday Malaysian police detained almost 200 suspected Rohingya migrants from Myanmar after their boat ran aground in Langkawi.
The Rohingya experience persecution in their predominantly Buddhist homeland of Myanmar, with many fleeing to affluent, Muslim-majority Malaysia or refugee camps in Bangladesh.
They often endure harrowing, months-long sea journeys to arrive in Malaysia by boat or sneak into the country via its porous border with Thailand.
If caught, they are often sent to detention centers that rights groups say are typically overcrowded and filthy.
Ghana announces visa-free entry for African passport holders
- Ghana joins Rwanda, Seychelles, Gambia and Benin in offering visa-free entry to African travelers
ACCRA: Ghana’s outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo Friday announced visa-free travel for all African passport holders from the start of this year, marking a step toward continental economic integration.
The announcement came during his final state of the nation address as he prepares to step down on January 6 after two terms in office.
“I am proud to have approved visa-free travel to Ghana for all African passport holders, with effect from the beginning of this year,” Akufo-Addo said in his speech to parliament.
“This is the logical next step to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the workings of the largest trading bloc in the world,” he said.
“All these are essential elements to the realization of the AU’s Agenda 2063, which envisages an integrated and connected Africa by 2063,” he added, referring to the African Union’s development blueprint for a 50-year period.
Ghana joins Rwanda, Seychelles, Gambia and Benin in offering visa-free entry to African travelers.
Ghana had previously allowed visa-free access to citizens of 26 African nations and visas on arrival for travelers from 25 others, while only two African countries — Eritrea and Morocco — required a visa before entry.
The visa-free policy builds on Ghana’s efforts to strengthen its international reputation, particularly through initiatives like the 2019 Year of Return, which celebrated the African diaspora and commemorated 400 years since the transatlantic slave trade.
The campaign attracted thousands of visitors, including celebrities, to Ghana and led to some receiving citizenship, bolstering the country’s global profile as a cultural and tourism hub.
Akufo-Addo also used his last address to trumpet economic progress under his leadership, citing an increase in Ghana’s gross international reserves to $8 billion, from $6.2 billion in 2017, and significant GDP growth in 2024.
“Economic growth has returned to the pre-Covid trajectory,” he said, projecting a 6.3-percent growth rate for 2025.
“I leave behind a Ghana that is thriving, one that has navigated significant global challenges with remarkable tenacity, whose economy is steadily rebounding, and whose institutions are operating effectively,” he said.
The oil-and-gold-rich West African nation is one of the most stable democracies in Africa.
Since 2022, it has been battling one of its worst economic crises in decades and is currently under a $3-billion International Monetary Fund relief program.
The outgoing president hands over power to John Mahama, who won the December elections.
New protests, fear over India’s handling of 1984 Bhopal toxic gas disaster
- After 40 years of inaction, authorities move 337 tons of toxic material for disposal
- Fears grow over contamination of the area where poisonous waste will be incinerated
NEW DELHI: Violent protests broke out in the central Indian town of Pithampur on Saturday, after authorities moved hundreds of tons of toxic waste to its disposal facility from the site of the worst industrial accident in history: the Bhopal chemical leak disaster that took place 40 years ago.
Pithampur, which is located in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh some 230 km from Bhopal, the state’s capital, was selected by the local government as the place where 337 metric tons of the toxic waste remaining in Bhopal after the 1984 catastrophe will be incinerated over the next several months.
Twelve trucks carrying the toxic material reached Pithampur on Thursday, raising fears among its residents that, after the material is burnt, its residue will pollute the soil and water in nearby villages.
Protests against the move began at the disposal facility on Friday evening and turned violent on Saturday morning, as hundreds of residents threw stones and clashed with police.
“We don’t want a repeat of the tragedy that took place in Bhopal 40 years ago that claimed thousands of lives and that has impacted the lives of thousands of families,” Dr. Hemant Kumar Herole, president of the Save Pithampur Committee, which helped organize the protest, told Arab News.
“This is a tribal area and people are simple, and they just want to save their lives from possible exposure to toxic waste ... Under no circumstances will we allow this waste to remain in Pithampur. The administration tried to explain that they would conduct some sort of trial, but we oppose any trial as well. We want this toxic waste to be removed from here and sent to a place where it poses no danger to humans, animals, or the environment.”
Local authorities were not available for comment but the state’s chief minister, Mohan Yadav, told reporters that the government “respects the spirit of public sentiment” and would suspend the waste incineration at least until Monday, waiting for advice from the court that had ordered the Bhopal cleanup.
The efforts to clean the Bhopal site follow a high court decision that gave Madhya Pradesh a one-month deadline following the 40th anniversary of the disaster to clear the toxic waste.
On Dec. 3, 1984, about 45 tons of the deadly chemical methyl isocyanate leaked from an insecticide plant owned by the Indian subsidiary of the US Union Carbide Corporation, located in Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh.
The poisonous gas spread over the densely populated neighborhoods surrounding the plant, killing around 20,000 people. Nearly half a million survivors were left suffering from respiratory diseases, blindness, and other chronic health issues.
Some survivors with life-changing injuries or health issues have received compensation, but that usually amounted to just a few hundred dollars.
Toxic material remaining in the abandoned factory continued to pollute groundwater in the surrounding areas and has been linked to high rates of birth defects among residents.
While the removal of the 337 tons of waste has made headlines as a positive milestone, Rachna Dhingra, coordinator of the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal, said it was a “PR gimmick” that did little to mitigate the pollution or the other impacts of the disaster and would potentially create similar problems in a different place. She also stressed that those 337 tons were only a tiny portion of the total amount of dangerous material still left in Bhopal.
“This is just 1 percent of the waste. This is not the waste that is contaminating the groundwater and soil ... There are still thousands of tons of toxic waste sitting inside the factory in the pits and in the solar evaporation ponds outside the factory,” she told Arab News.
“The waste that has been removed, it was not causing any problem in Bhopal, but when you burn it and bury it in Pithampur, it will cause problems ... I think they’re going to create a slow-motion Bhopal in Pithampur.”
Dhingra also claimed that victims of the Bhopal disaster do not support the move.
“They say that we should use (the money spent on removing and transporting the waste) for our rehabilitation and not to pay for what the polluter should be paying for ... The only solution for this is to seal the waste in stainless steel drums and ask the polluter, Union Carbide and Dow Chemical, to take it to their country and do whatever they would like to do with it,” she said.
“Just as in 2003, when the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board asked Unilever to take their mercury waste back to the US, the polluter — Union Carbide and Dow —should be held accountable and should be asked to take their toxic waste back.”
Russia says downed 8 US-supplied ATACMS missiles
- Outgoing US President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use the 300-kilometer-range arms against Russia last year
MOSCOW: Russia said on Saturday it had shot down eight US-supplied ATACMS missiles, whose use Moscow has warned could spark a hypersonic ballistic missile attack on central Kyiv.
Outgoing US President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use the 300-kilometer- (190-mile-) range arms against Russia last year, in a move the Kremlin denounced as a grave escalation.
“Air defense systems downed eight ATACMS US-made missiles and 72 drones,” the Russian defense ministry said.
The ministry also said it had captured the Ukrainian village of Nadiia, one of the few settlements in the eastern Lugansk region still under Kyiv’s control.
Moscow advanced by almost 4,000 square kilometers (1,540 square miles) in Ukraine in 2024, according to an AFP analysis, as Kyiv’s army struggled with chronic manpower shortages and exhaustion.
Both sides have accused each other of fatal attacks on civilians since the year began.
A Russian strike on a village in Ukraine’s northeast Kharkiv region earlier on Saturday killed a 74-year-old man, regional governor Oleg Synegubov said.
